Best available cop



Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWARD J. BRANNIGAN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REMOVABLE FURNACE IIEATIN G UNIT.

Application filed April 29, 1924. Serial No. 709,730.

My invention relates to electric furnaces and particularly to electric resistance furnaees. f

lT he object of my invention is to provide 5, a relatively compactl and complete'furnace structure embodying a quickly removable closure member supporting 'a resistor member for the furnace.

In practicing my invent-ion', Ifpvrovide a m plurality of refractory Wallsencl'osingan open-bottom' u'rnaeef'chamb'er and having mounted therein p'luralityofyspaced'terminal electrodes. -Agrefractory, removable, closiirefmember interits `With said Walls and i supports 'a resistor?thlatisl lengaged said electrodes. Means'areprovided to hold' the closure Vririeiiiber in its proper 'operative position l and to eftectfa substantially fair tight joint betvveen. the"zlosilre member and the refractry'iva113-f Q f, Y

" Th. sin 1. 'glireo'frh drawings@ were,

.. ment 16.` .The

tol eomprisesidevvalls, end lWallsand. a roof l,portion and .providean foperi bottom struc- -..t1ire, .which {openingis designated by the numeral .in'.,the iclravving.v

@A, quickly; removable closure member 21 intertitsyvth the refractory `vvalls which may Abefprovided.. With ashoulder portion, as indi- .catedby,t he numerals 22 and.= 23 m .the drawingswand comprises a metal Vbottom plate/24 fractory bricks or blocks built up to suitably close the opening 19. Y

A resistor member 25 is operatively supported by the closure member 21 and comprises a plurality of relativelythiu plates 26, o'f suitably electric-conducting material usually employedv for high temperature work. vThe built-up resistor member 25 is supported in any suitable or desired mannerwithin a depression in the top of the closure member 21 and when 4'first assembled in proper operative position thereon may be spaced from the supporting surface by a. piece of' wood 27. End 'pieces` 28 and 29, of \'vood,'may bepr'ovided to properly hold 70 the' plates in position untill they and the closureA member lsuppor'tingfthem; have"been moved into proper l`'operative'v positionl relativelyr to the furnacestructure,` as Will -be hereinafter described -in detail. i I i vTlieqfurnace. structure 1l g is provided ,with two opposed, alinedoperifngs 31"'and .32 l'respectively,}vithin which "are located elongatedterminal members Biand 34.the. inner ends`of which are in operativeenga'gement 80 withl the I. en d, plates Opfrthe '.A'asselmbled resistor `member` 25, substantially, as 'illustrated ill-:theidrafvliingx f. "ifl'JN-l: .zHmmm@elongated., @ma members A3,31 and.l 3.4= fis provide@ with .ani @lenga-ted S5 opening extending- .lengituiellyf y and axially (thereof,- withinwhieh {are} .located terminal --.e1ectr0des (3M-ande 1.36; respectively Any Sitable.Oradesredreesilient compres.- s i.ng means may :"be applie'd,.to. the .terminal o0 lelectrode'sl 35pt and 13o to3 press; them intol close voperativef engagement; with vlthe' terminal members 33 and 3ft' respeetively, andto press these latter .members into close loperative-.en- .gagementwitlrthe 'end-.plates ofthe -assem- 95 bled resistor 25 and also to maintain the abutting faces gofnthe .relatively thin' plates 26 in close, operative-engagement with each athen.;

As A:the i .resilient compressing means con- A 100 j stitutesV no .part .ofmy invention,l `have not .thought1 it necessary tofurt her illustrate and describe, the' same,.and any suitable means may be employed. y

`A means for removin Vthe `closure mem- .105

f ber and the resistor mem er, and for replacing the same, comprisesa memberl 37, that may be of substantially'. `inverted U-shape and be provided with a stiffening rod 38 that is suitably'securedl thereto at itsends,j IvBear-.1110

ing members 39 and 41 are provided in the top surface of the member 37 and in 'the member 38 respectively, through which extends a screw-threaded rod 42 that is ac tuatedv byan internally screw-threaded hand wheel 43, that located between the bearing members 39 and 41 respectively. A turning movementI of the hand Wheel 43, either directly by the hand of an operator or by the use of turning member 44I that engages a plurality' of spaced openings 45 provided in the periphery ofthe hand wheel, effects. a' vertical movement ofthe rod'42.

At its upper end, the rod'42 carries a plate 4G that is provided with a pair of spaced track niei'nbers 47 and 48, respectively, that may be of channel -form in lateral section. Means for preventing a turning movement of the supporting plate 46 and the rod 42 when the hand wheel 43 is turned, comprise extensions'49 and 51 that operatively engage the supporting members 13 and 14 respectively, and are thereby prevented from turning with the hand wheel;

' The metal plate 24 is providedwith a plurality of spaced wheels 52"and '58, respectively,l that are adapted to fit into the track members 47 and 48 yon the supporting plate 46.

Means for holding the'closure member 21 rin its"proper interfittin'g operative position relatively to the liningl 15.A may comprise spaced plates 54'and that 'may be fof cast iron 6r steel, and be suitably Secured` against thel bottom p0rt'ion"of the easing 12 and closely :adjacentfto the' edge olthe''opening 19,"byv avplurality of boltsv 56ai'd5-57`.`l 'f Means for effecting a substantiallyfairtight joint between theZfclos'ure/member and the refractory Walls fof the furnacevstructure comprise Vagasketf58f. that is' locatedA between the shoulder por-tions" 23"of1 the furnace structurefand the corresponding shoulder por-tions of the clos-ure' memberi.= f

f- Plates or-strapg 59l and 6 1", of copper, may 'be located between-the platesforibars'f54 and 55 and thecasi'ng 12 "andthe edgelof 'the supporting plate 24`a'd willsalso' assist in effecting a substantially air-tightjoint between the closure member :and the furnace structure. 1 f

' If it is assumed that'thefurnace has been Aassembled substantially ashereinbefore dethe carbonaceous resistor member 25 against the oxidizing effect of air that enters the work-receiving compartment 16 through the opened door.

As soon as the resistor member 25 reaches a sutiiciently high temperature, the pieces of wood 27, 28 and 295are converted into charcoal and will continue to act as a support for the lassembled resistor member although suchsupport is not particularly required, as the resistor member is supported by and between the opposing ends of the elongated' terminal members and 34 that are resiliently pressed against the ends of' the resistor member.

If it becomes necessary to replace a damaged resistor, the supporting plate 46 is moved into a substantially vertical direc tion upwardly until the wheels of the closure member 21 are supported thereby.

'I The supportingmembers comprising the plates orbars 54 and 55 which are t0 be understood as continuing around the entire periphery of the closure member 21,` are removed by' removing the bolts 56'and 5 7. The hand wheel 43 is then so actuated as to lower the rod 42, the plate 46 and the clo- Asure member, it being understood that the resilient compressing means hereinbefore described, have beenl suiiciently released' to permit disengagement of the'terminal lmembers 33 from the resistor member 25.

'llhe'rnefmb'er 37, together with the""plat'e V4,6'supportedthereby,and the closure member 21 locatedo'nthe`plate'46, may then be removed laterally,.ofy"the furnace structure 'inany' suitable or' desired manner aftert the closure member hasbeerr lowered a' suihcient distance to permit, this lateral movement of 'theelosure -member relatively to the bottom ldfftliewfurnace:structure. A new closure member may have been as# sembledin 'y advance. and heldr in readiness andiin'aybe located onT theplate 46 after the 'removal oflthe other closure member there; after 'which the" lifting structure 37 may' be.' removed into position underthe 'furnace structure and the closure member moved upwardly intol the opening'19'by suitable actuation of'. the hand` wheel 43. 'Acnew'gaslrett has been provided-0n the 'topsurface ofv the closure member andi will, in cooperation with the cover plates 59 and `61, effect substantially air tight engagement `therebetween, that will prevent air* from flowing between the closure member and the inner 'surface of the refractory wallsat the opening 19 which would cause an oxidizing action on the resistor member 25.l

' The device embodying my invention thus" providesa unitary refractory closing* member anda lresistor member located thereon and supported thereby, that are moved into f their proper, operative positionsvrelativelyto an open bottom furnacefstructureby'fa" movement in a substantially vertical direction.

It provides also, means for effecting a substantially air tight joint between such a closure member and the refractory walls, and provides also a means for holding the interitting closure member in its proper operative position within the furnace walls.

Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the s irit and scope of the invention, I desire, therefore, that only such'limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an electric furnace, the combination with an open-bottom refractory furnace structure, and a plurality of terminal electrodes mounted therein, of a refractory clo.

sure member for said structure movable into its operative position in a substantially vertical direction, and a resistor member mounted on said closure member and engageable by said electrodes when said closure meinber is inA its proper operative position.

2. In an electric furnace, the combination with a plurality of refractory walls enclosing an open bottom furnace chamber, and a plurality of spaced, and aligned terminal electrodes operatively supported by said walls, of a refractory closure member for t-he open bottom chamber, movable into interitting position with said furnace Walls in a substantially vertical direction, an elongated resistor member adapted to be operatively engaged by said electrodes, means on said refractory walls for holding said closure member in its proper operative position, and means for eifectlng a substantially air tight joint between said closure member and said refractory walls.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16 day of April,

EDWARD J. BRAN N IGAN. 

